Rachel Ferchak
For The Post
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For children (and even some college students), Halloween elicits fears of ghosts, goblins and ghouls. For Ohio University officials, Halloween brings fears of inebriated students, scantily-clad strangers and disease.
To help prevent incidents on campus each year, OU changes locks on the residence halls, recruits volunteers and sends out information to students about safety.
We start our preparation many weeks in advance of the actual event date
said David Hopka, assistant vice president for Safety and Risk Management. The goal is to make the event as safe as we can.
OU spent approximately $98,000 on Halloween-related expenses last year and will spend about the same amount this year, said Judy Piercy, director of Residential Housing and Off-Campus Living. The money pays for OU employees' overtime compensation, food for workers and volunteers, informational materials for students and the residence hall lock changes.
Although the money is factored into OU's yearly budget, the $25 residence hall Halloween guest fee covers some of the cost. Residents are limited to one guest, who must wear a wristband to enter the residence halls.
OU's key shop will swap the locks on all residence hall doors, except the main entrances tomorrow to prevent non-residents from entering the dorm. Changing the residence halls' 215 locks costs OU about $6,450, said Matt Smith, the university access control manager. Because this process is done during business hours, OU does not need to pay for labor costs.
Residence halls that require student IDs to gain entrance do not cost anything to change, he said. The locks will return to normal Monday.
University employees will monitor the dorms' main entrances from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Between 40 and 50 pairs of green jacket volunteers will patrol the campus from 9:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Saturday.
The volunteers are present to provide students with information, look out for suspicious behavior and help those in need, Hopka said. It is gratifying to see how many people volunteer, he added.
OU officials are particularly concerned about the potential of H1N1 spreading this Halloween and have urged students not to share cups with others.
We are emphasizing our educational information about (H1N1 and other diseases this year) Hopka said, encouraging students to look for handouts about Halloween safety.
I think they (university officials) make it sound a lot more risky than it is said Sarah Rucker, a junior studying media management, adding that students need to be responsible.
Rucker said she is not overly concerned about getting the flu when thousands of people flood into Athens this weekend.
I feel safe
but you just have to wash your hands
said Matt Lutz, a freshman who is undecided about his major.
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Caitlin Bowling
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OU alumna Jenna Anderson, dressed as Sarah Palin, dances with hippie Bryan Rogers during a performance by the Jazz Cream Assassins on Court Street last Halloween. Some fear the upcoming Halloween festivities will help spread the H1N1 virus throughout the university.
FILE PHOTO
